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The Baltimore Belt Railroad, chartered in 1888, built the Howard Street Tunnel. The seven-mile-long railroad connected the main branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that extends westward with its Philadelphia branch. Previously, trains had taken a circuitous route around Baltimore, which included ferrying all trains across the Patapsco River. Two decades earlier, the Pennsylvania Railroad had constructed tracks directly into Baltimore. In order for the B & O to remain competitive with the Pennsylvania company, the Baltimore Belt Railroad was built. The growth of the city eliminated the possibility of an above-ground track, necessitating the construction of a tunnel. Construction of the tunnel began in 1890. On May 1, 1895, the first passenger train passed through it.